


A Long Day

by fanwit



Series: 25 Days of Sevart [10]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, Time Loop
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2018-12-10
Packaged: 2019-09-15 18:08:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16938144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fanwit/pseuds/fanwit
Summary: Alastor learns some things about Arthur.





	A Long Day

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this in a time crunch. It was fun. Hit me up on [tumblr](http://fanwit.tumblr.com).

Alastor nods slowly. "I'm... glad you told me."

"You're, you're fine with it?" Arthur squirms. "I know you're not exactly fond of Severus but-"

"If you're happy, he's happy, then it's all good."

Arthur stares at Alastor who just smiles back.

"Have you been-"

"It's not Polyjuice, I'm not drunk, I'm not on anything, it's the real me," Alastor says flatly. Arthur winces then nods.

"Okay, I, I- Thanks."

"Least I could do."

Arthur stands, smiles at Alastor again, then heads out the room. He's off to see Severus and tell him about how Alastor reacted, Alastor knows. Then Arthur will go down to the kitchen and tell Fred who's sneaking cookies to stop. And then Ginny's going to spill hot cocoa all over Ron who will have to go up to his room to change and while that's happening, Harry's going to knock over the bookshelf. Alastor sighs. Pity everybody is so predictable now, it was funny when it first happened. The fifth, tenth, hundredth time? Not so funny.

Down in the living room, it's the same old scene. Severus is perched on Arthur's armchair and is refusing to budge, not even for Arthur. Percy's busy reorganizing the bookshelf while Hermione keeps picking up books she wants to read later. History, history, charms, romance, Muggle, then history again.

"So!" Harry breaks the silence. Alastor begins to mouth along. "Ah, you know, you, the- Any Christmas traditions we haven't done?"

"Yeah, I mean, Snape's here which is new." Charlie looks over at Severus. "Anything you usually do around this time of the year?"

Arthur glances at Alastor confusedly. Alastor probably should stop mouthing along but come on, he's been reliving this day for ages, he has to have some fun.

"No." Severus scowls at them all. Arthur seems to find this funny. _Ah, come on, it was funny!_ Alastor remembers Arthur defending himself some days ago, after a huge argument had broken out when Alastor had... said something quite _unnice_ to Severus. Huh, he thinks it might've been over fifty days ago.

"How's Mrs. Weasley?" Hermione says in an attempt - _What? I just wanted to lighten things up!_ \- to break what she feels is an awkward silence. 

"We _did_ get together in the teachers' lounge," Severus adds hurriedly, "and talk about what the students did."

"Hm, fun." Arthur sounds cheerful but Alastor knows he isn't.

"Remember when Bones tried to have a Christmas party?" Alastor cuts in. If he doesn't, then how come Mum isn't here then shouted arguments then far too many tears from Arthur and it'd be just the three of them.

"What happened?" Percy asks curiously. They all look interested and Severus leans forward.

"Well, it was," Alastor's told this over a hundred times already but he still pauses as if he's trying to remember, "uh, Prewett's idea -Fabian, mind, Gideon's much smarter than that- and someone spiked the punch."

"It was already going downhill before that," Arthur muses.

"Yeah, the music was just one song on repeat..."

"And the food table only had gingerbread-"

"And just punch to drink-"

"Hank and May broke up because-"

"May caught Hank with Lucy!"

"Oh my god, so many people broke up that night!"

"Yeah, yeah, Hank and May, uh," Alastor pauses for Severus to jump in.

"Evan and Bertha!"

"Oh, that one was fun to watch!" Arthur laughs.

"Didn't, didn't Bertha miss Rosier and hex Rookwood?"

"Yes!" Arthur bounces. "Rookwood was so upset he tried to hex Rosier but hit Perkins instead!"

"I can't remember what Perkins did..." Alastor waits for Severus to tell this one. Arthur's told that to Severus at some point, Alastor hasn't cared enough yet to find out exactly when.

"Perkins charmed the gingerbread to attack Rookwood-"

"But miscalculated and ended up making it attack everyone-" Arthur looks over to Alastor eagerly.

"Which is when Bones tried getting the punch to make the gingerbread wet-" Alastor continues.

"But the punch wasn't the punch but mostly vodka at that point so-"

"The charm didn't work and set the punch on fire instead-"

"So Nathan shouted fire which got everybody running-"

"And Bones never tried to have another Christmas party since then." Alastor finishes with a flourish. He leans back onto the couch. "Learned her lesson, I'd bet."

"I actually wish she'd have another one." Arthur sighs. "It'd be fun."

"Shacklebolt should plan it, he's better at that sort of stuff."

"Depends, does he have good taste in music?" Severus asks pointedly. "That's the important part of parties."

There's murmurs of agreement from the kids. 

"Anything is better than one song."

Later, after they've all had dinner, they're back in the living room and trying to figure out what to do. Alastor's gone through this enough times to not bother suggesting anything.

Severus leans over and whispers something to Arthur who laughs. They're not that bad of a couple, Alastor supposes. A Death Eater wouldn't date Arthur, Alastor's been telling himself so he'd feel better about Severus.

Alastor looks over to the piano. He's never seen anyone play that ever and he wonders why exactly Arthur wanted it. Although it's a good way to ensure there'll always be music even if the phonograph or radio broke. Maybe he should try to get someone to play the piano.

"I know a good song," Alastor declares. They all look over to him. He begins whistling what he knows is Arthur's favorite Christmas song. Hermione, Harry and Severus all groan.

"Oh, I love this song!" Arthur stands up excitedly. Alastor stops whistling and Arthur looks disappointed.

"I don't know it very well," Alastor admits. "Only heard the first verse and chorus."

"That's fine, that's fine," Arthur says. "I'll play it for you."

"You have a Christmas record?" Ron asks and Arthur shakes his head. Arthur steps over to the piano and begins playing. Arthur can play the piano? Alastor blinks.

"You play?" Severus sounds equally confused.

"You better watch out," Arthur starts.

And it's that instant Alastor remembers Arthur's also a Black. Of course his mother would've insisted on her kids learning a musical instrument. Arthur's good at the piano and he's surprisingly good at singing.

Arthur's a Black and he can hold his own. Alastor looks over at Severus who's watching Arthur with a soft expression. They're in love and Alastor's fine with that. He's fine with them dating and it's the first time Alastor's really accepted and understood that. Severus would never intentionally hurt Arthur, he's never intentionally hurt anybody, and he isn't a Death Eater anymore. Severus isn't dangerous.

"He sees you when you're sleeping!"

Alastor leans back and looks over the cozy scene. Arthur's kids are all staring at Arthur, openmouthed, they didn't know about the piano either. Severus' still smiling and it's a nice smile. He hopes he's done everything right this time, enough to break the loop. He has a feeling he did. Severus looks over at Alastor and Alastor smiles at him. It isn't a polite smile but a genuine smile. Severus smiles back.

If Alastor has to sit through yet another stumbling confession of those two dating, he'll scream.


End file.
